If you’ve ever found yourself looking for some anime series with a positive view on the human species, you’ve come to the right place. In this article, I list seven anime which fit the bill. There is also a “special mention” at the end. Please note that these are not necessarily “the best choices” nor the most popular examples, but simply some personal favorites that speak to me about hope in humanity. Please enjoy.
- 1) Angel Beats!
- 2) Assassination Classroom
- 3) Dr. Stone
- 4) Fruits Basket
- 5) Gurren Lagann
- 6) Run with the Wind
- 7) Orb: On the Movements of the Earth
- Special Mention: Vinland Saga Season 2
1) Angel Beats!
Since I’ve written quite a lot about it, nobody should be surprised about the presence of Angel Beats in this list. It’s an anime classic of the 2010s and has had a lasting impact on my life. This series and its powerful music and character writing genuinely helped me grapple with suicidal ideation during the lowest point in my life.
Despite the intense emotional drama, existential dread, and heartbreaking character backstories in this anime, Angel Beats is fundamentally a tale of hope that recognizes how humans deserve fulfilling lives. It’s a show that celebrates human life while also acknowledging that life is very shitty sometimes and death always sucks.
See also:
Angel Beats Review and Rant
Yuri Nakamura Character Analysis
2) Assassination Classroom
Despite the number of problems I have with this series, I still enjoy parts of it every time I re-watch episodes. For me, a big part of the enjoyment is the contagious positivity. The atmosphere, colors, and music in Assassination Classroom radiate hope and progress. The characters go through realistic and well-written growth and development.
Before meeting Koro-sensei, the kids of the E-Class had never been properly validated. Many of them felt they were at rock-bottom, but Koro-sensei slowly and steadily built them up. This anime is about some weird outcast kids and the “monster” that taught them how to survive and thrive. It’s a beautiful story.
See also:
Assassination Classroom Season One Review
Nagisa Shiota’s Unusual Gender Expression
3) Dr. Stone
I’ve already written this so many times that I’m not sure how to avoid repeating my exact words in previous posts. The narrative of Dr. Stone is strongly humanistic and pro-science. You won’t find any other anime that waves the flag of human progress quite so colorfully. To Senku, all humans deserve to be returned to life from their petrified state – even violent criminals or evil CEOs.
(To be perfectly honest, Senku is a better humanist than me. I’m not even sure that I would agree with Senku if I were with him in the Stone World. I wouldn’t support vigilante justice in most cases, but I would probably celebrate if a mysterious sci-fi light turned all the evil people into statues and we didn’t need to bring them back. At that point, just let them rot.)
Anyway, Senku and this anime as a whole are stubbornly optimistic about human nature and every human’s right to life. Moreover, it champions the great strides we’ve made with technology and medicine over the course of human history.
See also
Dr. Stone MBTI
Dr. Stone: New World Part 2 Review
4) Fruits Basket
Note: This article only refers to the 2019 version of Fruits Basket
Like several other entries in this list, Fruits Basket is often deeply saddening. It’s full of terribly flawed people and it doesn’t hold back on stories of abuse, grief, or emotional trauma. Some might find it depressing to get through at times. Nevertheless, Fruits Basket is a tale that exists to attest to the emotional resilience and beauty of humans. For every shocking backstory, there is a healing moment down the road.
As the cursed members of the Zodiac interact with Tohru, they begin to understand themselves and the chains that bind them. There is hope and the chance of love for everyone, no matter how ruined they feel by abuse. That’s what this show wants to say. Also, once you understand the deeper plot, you’ll agree that Fruits Basket is literally about humans breaking free from “god.” That’s humanistic as hell and I love it.
See Also
Fruits Basket MBTI
Fruits Basket: Abuse, Trauma, and Hope
5) Gurren Lagann
At the time of writing this entry, I haven’t seen Gurren Lagann in at least five years. I only watched the complete series through once. Back then, I didn’t like Gurren Lagann very much. It’s interesting how much I’ve changed over the last five to ten years. I need to re-watch it at some point. I would probably appreciate it a lot more now that I have moved past my hatred of humanity and can appreciate the central message.
The point of Gurren Lagann is to celebrate humanity’s obnoxious tenacity. The story is surprisingly complex and interesting in spite of the general goofy feel and shallow ecchi elements. Let me know if you think I should re-watch and review the series here at Anime Rants. (Written Feb 2025).
6) Run with the Wind
Like with the previous entry, I have only seen Run with the Wind once, and it was over five years ago. Nevertheless, it stands out to me as an anime that was inspiring and positive. It’s not just about marathon running; it’s also about the strength and beauty of the human spirit. I wanted at least one sports or fitness themed anime on this list, since those are often inspiring and exciting. Most people would have chosen Haikyuu, but I prefer Run with the Wind because it’s easier for me to relate to the adult cast.
7) Orb: On the Movements of the Earth
This anime’s first season of 25 episodes is not complete at the time of writing this article. However, having seen all 20 episodes so far, I think it’s safe to conclude that this is a strongly humanistic anime. It cautions against ideas like theocracy and religious indoctrination, celebrating personal liberty, critical thinking, and the pursuit and sharing of knowledge. The moral of the story is that nothing can stop humans from wanting to know new things and improve on old ways.
So far, this anime has moved through the lives of several characters over the course of a few decades in 15th Century Europe. The characters are bound by one common factor: their interest in heliocentrism. At that time, the Catholic Church had authority second only to royalty. They believed in the geocentric model and considered other models blasphemous. In other words, Orb is a story about heretics. I highly recommend it.
Special Mention:
Vinland Saga Season 2
I wanted to mention Vinland Saga but with a few caveats. The first season isn’t a great example of a hopeful anime, since it mostly shows humans doing terrible things to each other with little thought given to it. Arguably, the next half of the story is also full of tragedies of human nature – but in the second season, the message is a bit different. It’s about how humans can mature and change, becoming more compassionate as we reflect on ourselves and our world.
After all the violence he committed in his youth, Thorfinn begins to understand the weight of his actions. He needs to fundamentally change in order to keep living with himself. I highly recommend Vinland Saga season 2. Even if this isn’t the most hopeful anime, it does attest to the fact that people can change in order to make the world a better place for everyone.
~Thank you for reading~
Written by 7Mononoke
